Marshall

Marshall is the largest community in southwestern Minnesota with a population of 13,000 residents. The City, working with the Center for Changing Landscapes, developed “A Pedestrian and Bikeway Plan: A Safe and Healthy Marshall” that serves as a framework for the development of bikeways and walkways, and feeds into its comprehensive plan update.

Several tragic events led to the plan’s clear focus on safety. As the introduction to the plan states:

“The health and safety of residents and visitors within the community is of paramount importance to the community’s leadership and health care providers. The number of people who feel comfortable walking, or bicycling can be one measure a community’s quality of life. …The need to improve safety in Marshall is deeply felt. The interest in improving the safe use of streets, bike trails, and sidewalks has been heightened recently by tragedy. Eight young children lost their lives in our community in 2006. Each community member has been touched directly or indirectly by these tragic losses. For example, one 13-year old child died trying to cross a state highway on the way to his cross-country practice at the middle school. He was crossing on his bike at the designated pedestrian crossing when a vehicle struck him.”

The plan articulates a set of cycling and pedestrian routes with associated destinations for both residents and visitors.